


4 walls

by Sugar_and_Salt



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - MAMA (EXO Music Video), Alternate Universe - Magic, M/M, Mentions of Smut, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-16
Updated: 2019-02-16
Packaged: 2019-10-21 00:05:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 19,887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17632325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sugar_and_Salt/pseuds/Sugar_and_Salt
Summary: It had to be the four of them, and they mustn't speak a word to each other, especially not during the job. Spoken words meant attachment, attachment meant distraction, and distraction meant death. That being said, none of them were too attached to the rules in the first place.





	4 walls

**Author's Note:**

> hoo boy, this ran away from me so badly ;;  
> writing this was a bit of a struggle, but i really wanted to spread some love for the underrated, beloved chinaline members ❤  
> it might be a bit of a weird story, but i hope people can still enjoy it (´・ω・`)
> 
> much love to the mods for hosting this fest and being so kind!  
> seeing exo m members in fics has sadly become a rarity, so i'm stoked to read the other entries and grateful that you took your time to create this fest ❤

 

They didn't speak to each other.

They sat in the same room, like they did on most days. It was always the four of them, but they never spoke a word to each other - that was the rule.

There were two reasons for that.

Before them, a seal was brimming with energy as they meticulously put the spell together. It wasn't shimmering or glowing, but there was a certain heat emanating from it. Evenly spread out around the circle were four cushions on which the men were sitting while one of them was leading the construction with a calmly stretched out hand that made slow, unreadable gestures. His face betrayed nothing. It usually didn't. Kim Minseok's demeanour was as stoic as the ice he was using to carve the spell into.

It had to be the four of them. On his own, Minseok would be powerful, but lacking.

On their own, they were strong, but unfocused.

It was a delicate balance that could only be maintained through rigorous focus and effort on every of the four ends.

While Minseok was carving, the one opposite him watched the seal closely, looking tense even as a small, natural smile was obscuring his intentions and thoughts. Reading Jongdae was hard, even when he encouraged people to, because even that could sound like a trap when offered so melodically, and with such a glint in his eyes. He had been the one to place the raw force into the seal, holding and keeping it contained as Minseok molded it so Zitao could fasten the molds afterwards. Ice was powerful, but it wasn't eternal. Zitao could weave time into them, could make them last. He was also ready to freeze the seal in case it deteriorated, threatening to consume them. He and Luhan were there to ensure their safety, to keep the seal from burning itself into the walls and brandishing their minds. It was a powerful yet fragile thing they were constructing together, and as soon as Zitao had tethered down the entirety of it, Luhan was the only one able to move it. To stick it to one of the designated objects where it would stay until someone activated it.

They were usually small cubes, made of white, barely see-through material. Today, pressing it on the seal tinged it red. Just as expected.

When Luhan lifted the little cube, it was warm in his hands and the ground looked ashen, but lifeless. Slowly, he placed the cube in the center of it, exchanged a look with the others, and they silently got to their feet to leave the room through four different doors.

They weren't allowed to speak because it would be a distraction.

They weren't allowed to speak because it could mess with the spell.

They weren't allowed to speak because they weren't supposed to interact with each other.

The less personal this was, the more stable their balance would be.

That was the rule.

  
  


_the first wall_

  


Jongdae's power was deadly. Most _abilities_ were deadly, but with Jongdae, it was even more obvious. Most of them could end a regular person's life if they wanted to - with Jongdae, it could happen on accident, too. The power was running through his veins, slumbering right beneath his skin, and if it leaked for only a split second, a human heart would burn out, easily crumbling under the sizzling heat.

That's the way it used to be, and still was. People just tended to forget about that with the way Jongdae held himself. With how far his last _accident_ was lying in the past.

Jongdae had learnt to keep the prickly rush down, to keep it condensed inside himself. People said he'd been a really awkward and unpredictable teenager, shy and jumpy, a little too kind, a little too careful.

Back then, he had been constantly terrified. He still thought back to that time once in a while. When he would constantly mind his posture, keep his surroundings in check, always entering rooms last so as not to get surprised.

Jongdae was wiser today. By now, he knew that he didn't stand a chance if he tried to suppress it. He had to embrace it. Allow it to run through his veins, run through his every fiber. And sometimes he had to _enjoy_ the rush, let himself be dragged along by the sheer energy.

Nowadays, Jongdae wasn't cowering anymore. The energy was a part of him.

Most people were less nervous and alert around him now. He considered them idiots.

 

Jongdae often wondered what his team members thought of him.

There were three of them, and he rarely ever saw them outside of the seal room. He occasionally saw Minseok, the ice wielder. The scribe. There was absolutely no telling what he was thinking and that intrigued Jongdae. Even outside the seal room, Minseok had nothing but a silent nod for him.

Jongdae wondered whether he always stuck to the rules like that.

It was easier to read Zitao. Not because he was weak, but because his expression was less guarded. He was fascinated by Jongdae, by the sheer amount of energy he controlled. In turn, Jongdae was fascinated by him and his power. What Zitao was doing wasn't tangible at all - where Jongdae and Minseok were moving elements and tiny parts of reality, Zitao reached out in entirely different dimensions, to past and future, weaving an entirely new reality. He didn't know how he was doing it, didn't even know what exactly he was doing, but it felt foreign and entirely unique to him.

It was just as impossible to understand what Luhan was doing, the doe-eyed, innocent-looking guy who always sat to Jongdae's left. It was less mind-breaking than Zitao's power, but Jongdae respected him nonetheless. After all, no one else would be able to hold his energy, which might be contained in the seal, but no less heavy. Luhan made moving it look effortless, as though the only complexity about it was maintaining the balance.

The balance.

They had been carefully chosen, gathered in this small town in the middle of nowhere, put together based on their abilities, and Jongdae wasn't sure whether it would have worked with anyone else. It had to be them. Every single one of them was irreplaceable.

Every single one of them had a role to fulfill. A precise performance to deliver. The word kept echoing around his word without him having to consciously think of it. _Precise_.

Jongdae left the seal room, keeping his posture calm and steadily. He waited until he was out of sight and then entered the first empty room he could find, keeping it closed by leaning his back against the door.

He closed his eyes. Breathed. Felt the irritation. The turmoil. The movement beneath his skin, dragging and pulling, wanting out. Instinctively, he ran his palms over his arms, pushing into the fabric, feeling nothing but smooth skin beneath.

Recently, he'd been feeling... imbalanced. It seemed to be getting worse instead of better, too. He couldn't afford this right now.

He took another deep breath, and then another.

In. Out.

Measured.

Controlled.

 

But it was so slippery.

His head was pounding.

It _hurt_.

 

* * *

 

It started out alright, their next session.

The seal was rather big, but simple. It shouldn't take long for Minseok to carve it and Jongdae was glad about that. He felt... fuzzy.

The wood felt soft beneath his palm, long ago chafed down by the seals.

Jongdae allowed the energy to seep out, to stay contained around the edges someone had drawn on the ground with a piece of white chalk.

_It wanted out though._

Jongdae tensed, and he felt Zitao's eyes on him. He didn't turn to decipher his look. If there was pity or worry in them, he might get annoyed and slip up for real.

Minseok began to carve, an icy layer covering Jongdae's energy, tickling it, temptingly thin and fragile.

Jongdae felt a little too hot all of a sudden, but he stayed focused.

He could do this.

It wasn't a difficult seal.

It-

"Stop!" someone suddenly called from his right.

Minseok flinched, the ice cracked, and Jongdae scrambled to keep himself together at the sudden interruption. If the other two hadn't reacted so fast, the seal might have burst but as it was, Jongdae was left to stare at Zitao in unguarded shock. The other's gaze was flitting from the seal and back to him, looking a little shocked himself.

He had broken the silence.

Because Jongdae had been messing up.

They all exchanged more or less disturbed and restless looks when Luhan started to make a canceling gesture. Obediently, Minseok allowed the ice to gently melt away while Jongdae attempted to take back the wobbly, unruly energy. It was so much, way too much for this seal, and he knew right away that cancelling the process was the right decision.

It got easier towards the end, and Jongdae could tell that Zitao was the one causing it. Somehow, he made the energy more sluggish, more condensed.

Jongdae felt it run through his body and dissipate back into the ground, evenly spread and unnoticeable to any regular person.

He got to his feet and left the room first, without another look their way.

Outside, only one person looked up from their desk. Not many people dared to be so close to spell-carvers, so it had to be someone valuing his work over his health. Jongdae knew he must be looking ruffled and just rushed out without a comment.

Zitao had felt it. He _knew_.

He knew that Jongdae's grasp on his own power was weakening.

He'd also broken the silence.

What now?

It was mostly self-defense that urged Jongdae out of the building, across the grassy grounds and into one of the training facilities. The room he needed was deserted almost all the time, and that early evening was no different.

He palmed the huge metal ball standing on a podest in the middle of it, feeling the shiny lacquer beneath his fingers. The conductor worked for all tangible powers, and Jongdae had trained on this specific one for almost three years, but never had the runes beneath his fingers grown so warm at a mere touch.

It was so violent, so heavy-

The door clicked shut behind him and Jongdae whirled around in alarm, the runes growing even hotter as Jongdae's energy kept pulsing through them in waves.

It was Zitao. He looked slightly out of breath, but the look in his eyes was calm.

He knew. He knew that Jongdae was losing it, and yet he was stupid enough to directly approach him now.

He was stepping even closer, and only now did the insecurity flicker over his expression. Idiot.

Jongdae didn't say anything though, because talking to Zitao was somewhat off-limits. It wasn't exactly written down somewhere, but they had all mutually agreed to keeping the silence, should they meet outside the seal room.

Zitao's voice had been fascinating though. Not at all like he would have imagined it. Kinda high-pitched, maybe even a  little nasal - or maybe his memory was already blurred by the air flimmering with energy.

Zitao was tall, and he only truly realized it now that he was standing right before him. Way taller than Jongdae and Minseok. And he was reaching out to touch him, outstretched fingers inching closer.

Maybe it was the increasing dizziness, or maybe it was something else that made Jongdae speak up before he could touch him, his own voice whispery and foreign to his ears.

" _You'll die_."

It was barely audible over the numb, sizzly sound Jongdae's energy was causing as it filled the air. Describing Jongdae's energy was all kinds of frustrating as it refused to be pinned down by words he knew. Maybe Minseok would know more appropriate terms. Maybe he would have known how to describe the wave of heat Jongdae felt the moment Zitao's fingertips touched him. It burnt like ice, but ice wasn't hot and Jongdae was definitely feeling hot all over as Zitao's powers were wrapped around him, pushing, tethering, while Jongdae stood there, frozen to the spot. There was something akin to shock on the other's face, and something Jongdae would have guessed to be... fascination. A fascination that must be mirrored in Jongdae's expression.

He'd never felt so strange before, and he'd never reacted to anyone like that.

It didn't feel bad or harmful, and Zitao didn't look like he was in pain, either.

They weren't allowed to talk.

They weren't allowed to get too close, really.

They most certainly weren't allowed to kiss, or to fuck against the wall of Jongdae's training room.

It just happened.

And even the next day, when Jongdae woke up in someone else's bed, feeling both worn out and much clearer in the head, he couldn't really express what had gotten into him. An arm was blindly slung over his chest as Zitao pressed closer, breathing deeply.  
No, Jongdae corrected himself, he didn’t know what had gotten into _them_. Whatever it was, Zitao shared it. And Jongdae could hardly un-hear the sounds he had made the previous night. He also didn’t want to.

 

 

  
_the second wall_

 

Luhan couldn't remember the last time their seal carving had been such a fiasco. After Jongdae had left so abruptly, Zitao and him had gotten to their feet as well. Only Minseok kept sitting there, kept staring at the ashen ground with an unreadable gaze. Luhan hesitated but he didn't want Zitao to see that. Luckily, the other seemed too busy to spare them a glance and left without waiting for them.

It was just the two of them now.

Luhan stood right at his door, but he kept looking at Minseok.

He kept waiting until the other exhaled and got to his feet as well.

They each took the exit through their designated doors, walking down different hallways, seeing different people.

He could have spoken to Minseok. There was no one around to watch them.

But Luhan didn't need to. He knew what was going on within Minseok, the academic in their team, the smart one. Delicate, distanced, determined Minseok. With his flawless posture and work ethic.

But even the most dutiful person wasn't a doll, wasn't a mere tool. Even Minseok wasn't above being human. Even Minseok had at least one flaw, a crack in the perfect role he was playing.

And that flaw would be Luhan.

The route Luhan took was a little sneaky, taking back doors and walking through deserted rooms that led to other buildings, but he still managed to arrive at the apartment before Minseok did, barely waiting until he had closed the door behind him.

"Are you hurt?"

Minseok's expression didn't even twitch but he made an airy sound, a little exhale, a huff of exasperation. And fondness.

"I'm fine," he said, quiet as ever. Luhan didn't hesitate as he ran his hands up and down Minseok's arms, feeling the other's energy thrum steadily, a low buzz, the softest of vibrations that only Luhan could feel. It felt familiar. Like a steadily rising chest, like warm skin. Like balance, like calmness, like the memory of being moved so deeply it made you feel nauseous.  
Minseok had long ago stopped feeling like one big impression; it was all snapshots, a string of pictures capturing movement, development, a beautiful plant growing, blooming, stretching and raking itself over its environment. Luhan felt honoured to wear the invisible fingerprints of Minseok on his skin, and the most mind-twisting thing to him was that he knew Minseok felt the same way about him.

"Stop worrying," Minseok added with the faintest hint of a smile, and placed a fleeting kiss on one of Luhan's hands before stepping out of his grip to get changed.

"You think he wasn't feeling well?" he then asked in between tugging a more comfortable shirt over his head. If Luhan was concerned, he could have skipped the clothes, but Minseok knew that, as well. It was probably the reason why he sometimes turned his back to Luhan while changing. Mixing things up a little to keep every single situation individual in their own right.

"Jongdae? Yeah, he was weird today," Luhan hummed, sitting on the edge of their bed. "He's been a little strange for awhile now."

"You feel anything?" Minseok asked as he sat down next to him, steadying himself on one hand, naturally leaning into him. Just as naturally, Luhan slung an arm around him and tugged them both down, into a lying position, bouncing a little on the plush mattress.

"Not sure," he began, trying to recall the exact way he had felt earlier.

Unlike Minseok or Jongdae, Luhan had no _energy_ , nothing physical that was tied to his own body. He was a little similar to Zitao - at least he was guessing that he was - but even between them there was one crucial difference: Luhan _felt_ things around him. His ability was to move things without a touch, and that inevitably meant that he had a certain feel for his surroundings, both the physical and non-physical aspects of it. If they were within a certain proximity, Luhan could feel the solid, perfectly controlled energy coating Minseok like a shield, he could feel particles stir and change if Zitao decided to step in and reach back and forth in time, and he could feel the strong, almost violent energy emanating from Jongdae. The latter had indeed been strange lately, a little... flickery. Like a candle flame moving in an unseen gust of air, suddenly slipping out of control without warning.

"It might be something personal," he began, and Minseok hummed, his fingers traveling down Luhan's side, and then further down.

"Do you think it is?" he asked, his expression perfectly neutral. Luhan played along, staying perfectly still as he felt a nail scraping down the inside of his thigh in a featherlight manner, and then back up, tracing his groin in an utterly shameless, casual manner.

"Not sure," he said again, and the fact that Minseok was staring him straight in the eye, never once averting his gaze, only added to the pleasant tingling he was feeling.

"It wouldn't be like him though. He usually has his emotions in check. Almost as good as you."

The sound Minseok made was curt, non-committal almost, while his clever fingers found a spot that made Luhan twitch.

"We should be careful," he muttered thoughtfully.

"You're right," Luhan agreed, and then he slid his palm from Minseok's side to his back.

"But you can be less careful now. I'm not gonna bite you."

Minseok's lips twitched into a smile at that, and there was mischief mirrored in his eyes.

"What are you talking about?" he asked quietly, tone perfectly innocent.

Luhan gave in first. He usually did.

 

* * *

 

Jongdae was growing calmer over the following weeks, Luhan noticed that much. It was a relief - as little as he knew about the other two, Luhan liked their team and didn't want to change constellations. They all worked well together, and both Jongdae and Zitao were exceptionally powerful, they'd always been, but that aside, changing a team of seal constructors wasn’t easy. There were only very few qualified people around, and gathering them meant traveling, lots of trial and error, and a change in environment. Zitao had even moved countries to do this with them, and Luhan had been in this town already, waiting for someone to complete their team for almost two years. Breaking up their team was not an option at this point.  
There shouldn’t be a reason to worry though, quite the opposite - these days, Jongdae seemed to handle even large seals as if they were nothing, and Luhan didn't think anything into it at first.

It took a small, almost whimsical seal for him to realize it.

There shouldn’t have been any trouble at all, but Jongdae seemed to have a lot of trouble stabilizing his energy to the point that Zitao stepped in _before_ Luhan could, something he didn't usually do. It was a mutual understanding between them that Luhan was leading their sessions. Zitao only acted without his permission in absolute emergencies, but in that moment, he had simply regulated Jongdae's energy, keeping it contained in an entirely natural, flawless manner.

Way too precise for a lack of mutual understanding. The way he did it suggested practice. Lots of practice.

Luhan didn't make a fuss because there was no reason for him to interfere with whatever was going on between Jongdae and Zitao behind closed doors, as long as it made work easier for all of them.

Sure, it might backfire, but Luhan was hardly in a position to address that, and neither was Minseok.

 _Funny_ , was all that Minseok had said about this, and then he'd buried his face in Luhan's neck to get some rest and the conversation was over and done with. Luhan didn't mind.

 

Everything was going well for a while, and at some point Luhan started to think that this was the most balanced they would ever be. Jongdae was struggling more than usual, but Zitao was always there to catch him. They intrigued him, to be perfectly honest. Both Zitao, Jongdae, and their relationship, but it wasn't Luhan's place to pry.

Not until a late afternoon in summer.

As usual, they were hidden away from the last, golden rays of light that dipped the offices in gold. Natural light would be a distraction, after all.

It was a tiny seal, at least compared to the ones they had been carving lately. The circle was the same size, of course, but the carvings would be simple, and the energy it required was small.

Minseok coated the circle in ice, a thick layer on top of Jongdae's energy. It felt reassured as usual, covering Jongdae's shaky foundation and aiding to stabilizing it. It was utterly random, the realization that things had changed. Right, Luhan thought, if things truly went according to plan, both Zitao and him wouldn't be needed during the carving process. He hadn't even realized that them stepping in had become a given. This wasn't a sign of better teamwork, either... they simply weren't meant to step in as much as they had done recently.

Before Luhan could finish his absent train of thoughts, Minseok placed his palm on the ice and a deafening sound whipped through the air like thunder striking down, and then the whole construct dispersed into every direction. With a gasp, Luhan reacted as fast as he could, holding everything together. Only then did he realize that the sound had been the ice cracking violently - shards of ice were hovering all around them, sharp and deadly, twinkling in an unnatural way.

He met Zitao's gaze, and nodded slightly. The other got to work immediately, and compared to Luhan's hasty, almost sloppy reaction, the way Zitao tugged at them seemed almost effortless. It always felt like a tug if he reached back in time. The ice shards stopped pushing against Luhan's hold and eventually retreated back into their original form while Jongdae's power folded itself back to the controlled state it had been in. A quick check told him that no one had been badly wounded by the accident - at least not physically - and Luhan couldn't tear his gaze off Minseok, whose hands remained outstretched, frozen in the movement of defensively spreading his fingers to catch the ice shards. There was blood welling up from various cuts, and his face betrayed absolutely nothing but he was distraught, Luhan could feel it. Minseok had never been this distraught before, and he tried not to let it get to him.

When the seal had returned to its prior, unblemished state, Jongdae dispersed his energy without a word, and Zitao watched him carefully. Minseok melted the ice almost mechanically after that, and Luhan should declare their session over, should see them out and at least wait until they were alone. He didn't do any of that though, and immediately slid over to Minseok, taking a hold of his hands to inspect them. To his surprise, Minseok ripped himself free and got to his feet, leaving the room first.

Luhan felt an unreasonable surge of anger - not because Minseok had treated him like this, but because something had hurt him. Something or someone.

He looked back, at Zitao and Jongdae. Jongdae was still staring at the door Minseok left through with an unreadable gaze while Zitao met his eyes, only to avert them quickly after. If he didn't know any better, he'd say Zitao looked regretful. He knew something.

After a short, inner battle, Luhan decided to talk to Minseok first, before dealing with the other two. A flimsy gesture about ending the session later, Luhan was leaving, briskly walking down the corridors to meet up with Minseok. He wasn't home though, neither in Luhan's apartment nor in his own. Despite his rampant emotions, he stilled just outside his apartment, taking a deep breath and trying to form a clear thought. Minseok spent an enormous time at the library, but this was definitely not the time.

He ended up finding him in their training rooms. It was obvious before he'd even stepped inside - the particular building was dusted in Minseok's magic, and colder than it should be after a long summer day.

When Luhan entered the grounding room, as they called it, he was hit by a wave of cold and the sharp scent of snow. Ice was crawling up the walls in thick chunks, lacking the usual finesse and icey flowers Minseok was so known for.

Hearing the door creak, Minseok turned to shoot him a fleeting look before he focused on the metal ball in the room again, not paying him any more attention.

Luhan didn't thoughtlessly approach him this time - it was rare for Minseok to be in the training rooms these days. He didn't need training. His grasp on the ice was flawless.

"Don't do this now," Luhan eventually said, bracing himself just in case the ice would accidentally stick to him, as well. "You're still bleeding."

"Not anymore," Minseok only replied, calm and focused, as if he was trying to figure out a sloppily drawn rune.

Luhan stepped closer, and the ice cracked beneath his feet, but didn't hurt him. Of course it didn't.

"Your body is still human," he insisted softly, placing a careful hand on his shoulder. Minseok didn't flinch, and neither did the ice around him. When he received no answer, he tried a different approach.

"Did they hurt you?"

"It was my fault," Minseok only said. It was obvious that he didn't want Luhan's pity right now, but there was no use in blaming himself for something he hadn't done. Which is why Luhan simply had to insist.

"I sensed it. You didn't do anything wrong. Jongdae just went out of control again-"

"He did _not_ ," Minseok cut him off, shooting him a sharp look. "He was doing his job exceptionally well. The ice was simply too weak to stem the weight. _I_ was too weak."

"What are you even saying," Luhan tried, but a withering look by Minseok shut him up.

"It's true," he insisted, and bitterness seeped into his tone and expression. "I've been growing weaker lately. Without Zitao constantly supporting and readjusting things, we would probably be dead by now."

Luhan had never even considered that Zitao was helping Minseok more than he was helping Jongdae. It seemed absurd.

"I didn't feel anything though," he began again. "You feel just as strong as ever."

"Well, apparently that's not enough," Minseok mumbled, eyes trained on the runes etched into the metal. "But how am I supposed to get better? I've been training for weeks but nothing seems to change."

Another wave of cold sent icy air down Luhan's lungs, making it hard to breathe as Minseok tried to prove a point.

He felt his own energy working harder to keep the cold away from him, and he didn't see the problem.

"Feels powerful as ever?" he asked rather than stated, watching his words disperse in little puffs of smoke.

"Then how come I've suddenly grown too weak to keep my canvas from ripping?" Minseok asked, annoyance lining his words, the type that was driven by nothing but frustration.

Luhan thought about that. It felt like staring at various pieces of a puzzle. A small puzzle. He should be able to put them together, he just had a feeling that all of them were lying face up, so what was the meaning of all this?

Jongdae slipping out of control more and more often, Minseok cracking under the pressure, and Zitao involving himself deeper and deeper in the process...

And then it clicked. One possible option, that is, but at that very moment, it seemed obvious and convenient.

"Minseok," he began, but then reconsidered. What he was about to do might be very stupid and most certainly violated their rules, so maybe he should hold off on telling Minseok about it.

But when Minseok half-turned to shoot him a questioning glance, looking vulnerable under the thin, icy mask that worked so well for him, Luhan knew he would tell him.

He simply had to. What they shared was running deeper than their powers, and unconditional.

He could only pray that things would work out for them. For the four of them.

 

* * *

 

Luhan felt restless by the time he heard a knock on the door. He'd rented the room for one night only, so it was obviously no cleaning staff requesting his attention.

He crossed the small room, his socks muting his steps. It hadn't felt right to wear shoes inside a furnished room. Now it felt even less right to be opening the door to Jongdae, being clad in colorful socks and comfortable clothing; it felt as if he was inviting him into his home.

The look Jongdae shot him could be described as cautious. Wary. Not the submissive type though. Even now Jongdae emitted a sharp kind of feeling - ready to cut, ready to hurt if prompted to.

He had come alone though, something Luhan hadn't expected.

He only nodded at him and waited until Jongdae had entered and the door was closed.

"Hey," Luhan said, and Jongdae blinked, looking almost startled over his friendly tone, but it only chipped at the wall of caution he had put up.

"Hey," he echoed, voice melodic as ever. Luhan had heard him talk to others before so he wasn't unfamiliar with his voice, but that didn't mean he had stopped appreciating it.

"What did you want?" Jongdae added, not allowing the silence to stretch out, stretch them thin. He didn't bother addressing the fact that what they were doing right now was somewhat forbidden. Luhan had figured that he wouldn't mind and his current presence was proof of that.

"I wanted to talk," Luhan said, looking around the room as if more seating options had magically appeared in the past few minutes. The little armchair remained the only one though, and so he offered that one to Jongdae while he sat on the edge of the bed.

"Did anyone see you?" he asked, and Jongdae shrugged.

"Not really."

His curt replies only further highlighted the tension radiating off him. Luhan could feel it, could feel the prickly energy like a swarm of insects that was just barely kept together.

Jongdae was nervous. He knew why he was here.

Now the question that remained was whether Luhan knew why he was here.

"Okay. Good. So recently, we've been having a hard time in the seal room," he began, keeping his tone neutral. "And we should probably find a solution before we're split up as a team."

"Or die," Jongdae muttered with a little huff, but didn't give Luhan time to address this, pushing the conversation forwards, "Then why did you only want to see me? You think it's my fault?"

There was an odd kind of challenge to his words, and Luhan wasn't sure what he wanted him to say. He chose to be truthful, because who knew when they'd be talking again? He didn't want to waste any of the words falling between them.

"I don't. I don't think anyone is to be faulted."

There it was again, the flicker of insecurity in Jongdae's eyes.

"I can't really judge your powers, at least not to a full extent, but is it true that they keep growing?" Luhan then asked, not beating around the bush, and now Jongdae looked flat-out surprised.

"What?"

"It felt like that," Luhan elaborated, not yet willing to give up on his thesis and start defending himself. "I used to think your control is slipping, but Minseok denied that. You're having trouble with small seals because it's uncomfortable to hold such a small amount of energy when there's so much that wants out. Isn't that how it is?"

For a brief moment, something bitter flashed over Jongdae's expression, but then he looked pensive.

"You... think so? Huh. Maybe... maybe you're right," he said slowly, staring at the ground between them. It was Luhan's turn to be surprised, because he would have never guessed that Jongdae wasn't aware of this.

"How would you not notice? I thought you knew."

Jongdae only raised his brows at this, a hint of attitude seeping through the confusion.

"How would I know? It's not like I ever get to drag out enough of it to see the bottom of the barrel."

Luhan shrugged.

"I wouldn't know what a power like yours feels like. Mine is different."

"Exactly. Which is why you're in no place to judge," Jongdae explained, and his voice grew smoother, less irritated as he went on. "It's not a skill I can perform, it's more like an... independent thing, something I made into a pet. But no animal can ever be fully domesticated. And you're right about one thing... it wants out," he muttered more to himself than anything.

"That's why he helps me so much."

"Zitao? You two are pretty close, aren’t you?" Luhan asked, and Jongdae shot him a look, surprised that Luhan would know about them.

"Just how much can you feel, exactly?" he asked warily, but Luhan couldn't answer this even if he wanted to.

"This and that. It really varies," he dismissed with a wave of his hand, much more interested in getting back to the root of their problem.

"So your power keeps growing, and Zitao stops it from growing by manipulating time?"

"No!" Jongdae was quick to deny, either due to pride or protectiveness, "Not at all. I just think we tire each other out, and that makes working with it easier. Zitao's the one who's definitely getting stronger though. His abilities keep improving and recently, he's been getting skittish if he doesn't use his abilities for too long. Can't say I'm any different, but it's new for him..."

"So you think you're stimulating each other?" Luhan asked, feeling more and more confused about what exactly was going on between the two and how it affected the grand scheme.

"Maybe," Jongdae shrugged. "Who knows? More importantly, what do you want me to do about this? Are you asking me to stop seeing him? Is that what this is about?"

"No. Who am I to suggest such a thing?" Luhan asked vaguely, and it was obvious that Jongdae didn't know about Minseok, or else he'd have brought him up by now. "Besides, you seem to be less in control when separated. Your powers have been growing individually all on their own, apparently."

Luhan thought about it for awhile, hands on his knees, eyes lowered to the ground. It was perfectly silent, with no sounds reaching through the walls or closed window. Eventually, he sighed.

"I want this to work out," he stated randomly, allowing frustration to get to the surface.

"Me too," Jongdae added surprisingly. Even wild, untameable Jongdae valued their team, and Luhan wasn't sure why this came as a surprise to him. He barely knew the other, after all.

"But Minseok's and my abilities don't naturally grow. They pretty much stagnated years ago," Luhan mumbled, ruffling his hair. He saw Jongdae inhale deeply, didn't consciously think any of it, but then the other got up to take a seat next to Luhan. The mattress dipped under his weight, and then Jongdae was very close, leaning in with his whole body, careful not to actually touch him.

His eyes looked a little dark, a little mischievous, a little alluring.

"So if I get you both on our level, it'll be all good, right?"

"What do you mean?" Luhan asked lowly, making a conscious effort to move as little muscles as possible, as if even a single wrong move, a single look could tip the delicate balance between them. Was he bluffing right now? He had no idea.

"To a certain extent, I do think Zitao and I are... stimulating each other, as you said it," Jongdae hummed, eyes raking down to rest on Luhan's lips. It was the type of gaze that made you feel naked. Exposed. Assessed.

"So if I get you to be on par with us..." Jongdae trailed off. Luhan kept holding his breath, and with the little distance between them, he could feel the warmth radiating off him. He could feel his energy, too, fluttery, distracted. Powerful.

Jongdae kept staring at him, waiting for a response, but he got none. He didn't receive a denial, either, though.

Because Luhan was _curious_.

Luhan didn’t break eye contact when he felt a palm on his thigh, and then he was overcome by a rush so strong it knocked the air out of his lungs, forcing a small gasp out of him. It was overwhelming, coating his senses with thick, vivid, liquid energy, burning through his veins, dancing over his skin, violet and scorching hot, and for a moment, Luhan was lost. When the patterns dispersed before his eyes, Jongdae was staring at him intently, head slightly tilting as Luhan focused on him.

"Not bad," he said quietly, and Luhan lacked all capacity to form a verbal answer. He felt like he was buzzing with life, a foreign kind of life, or maybe just a heightened form of himself-

He didn't make any sense, not even to himself, and certainly not to Jongdae as he trailed his fingertips over the back of his hand.

He dragged them up his lower arm, feeling the sparks like a hundred little electric shocks zinging over the pads of his fingers. Jongdae kept staring at him, expression stumbling a little, cracking into something less focused, and Luhan wondered whether he was feeling something, as well.

Then the world turned as Jongdae pressed him into the mattress, hovering over him, and Luhan had a hard time breathing. Before their lips could meet, he pushed against the energy, against Jongdae, and rolled them over, looking into a very defiant face. It was a struggle, but Luhan denied the energy, refused it to push its way inside him as he leaned in.

"Ask him first," he whispered strictly, not breaking eye contact.

Jongdae had the audacity to roll his eyes.

"He won't mind."

"You don't know that," Luhan argued quietly, but leaving absolutely no room for arguments.

Minseok wouldn't mind. He knew that because they had talked about this, albeit not in excruciating detail yet. It had all been very hypothetical. Jongdae, on the other hand, had spontaneously made this move on his own just now.

He looked a little frustrated, but Luhan refused to budge, pressing him down and making no move to lean in.

With an annoyed huff, Jongdae pushed him away, a move to which Luhan didn't show any resistance at all.

Jongdae got to his feet, adjusting his pants a little - Luhan fleetingly noticed that he was very much aroused, and only then realized that he was feeling the same. It reminded him of the almost violent attraction he had felt to Minseok when they'd first touched, and he blamed their abilities on that.

"Stay here," Jongdae demanded, then the door was closed, and then Luhan was alone before he realized it.

Had he seriously just left with the intention to get permission by Zitao and then return right after?

That was ridiculous.

Luhan shifted on the bed, refused to give in to the urge to touch himself, and instead closed his eyes to feel the remnants of Jongdae's energy ghost over him.

A simple touch would be enough, he was pretty certain of that. Whatever their exchange would bring, it already happened at innocent touches. Jongdae didn't seem to want that, though. Something about the soft way Luhan had run his fingers down his arms had irked him, provoked him to roughly push Luhan around instead as if that was easier to deal with than soft touches.

Maybe it was, for him. Luhan was willing to play along with this.

It was hard not to think of Minseok when he was being touched by a near stranger, but Jongdae did a pretty effective job at claiming his attention with his brash, forward attitude that baited Luhan into giving back just as much.

When he lay in his own bed that night, Minseok curled into his side and sleepily mouthing along his neck, Luhan could still feel Jongdae inside him, albeit not in a physical sense.

He could only hope that this was worth it, and that he and Minseok would remain unwavering in their affection for each other.

 

 

_the third wall  
_

 

Minseok hadn't expected Luhan to slip into bed just when he'd finally dozed off, smelling like another man. Well, strictly speaking, he had showered thoroughly, so he wasn't exactly smelling of anything but soap. He still felt different under his lips, though, a little more grainy, a little fluttery where he was usually smooth.

"Did you touch Zitao?" he’d asked back then, too sleepy to skirt around the topic. Luhan's arms had tightened around him, his warm lips wandering up the side of his face.

"Fucked Jongdae," he mumbled.

 _Oh_ , Minseok thought, feeling a rare twinge of unidentifiable emotions. Luhan didn't have the patience to wait for a reply.

"Are you okay with this?"

"Sure," Minseok said without thinking, instinctively reacting to the slightly insecure tone in Luhan's voice. In response, Luhan peppered more kisses along his face, finally catching Minseok's lips. He barely responded, pliant from exhaustion. He'd trained a little too hard earlier.

"Tell me again in the morning, if you still mean it then," Luhan hummed, and Minseok only made a noncommittal little sound.

"He couldn't touch you the way I do, anyway."

That seemed to be enough to ease Luhan's worries, and he chuckled into Minseok's hair.

"Of course not."

A pause.

Minseok had almost dozed off when Luhan's voice whispered into his ear.

"I love you."

The words prickled in a familiar way. Minseok smiled, blindly reaching up to cup the back of his neck, rubbing it in comfort.

"I love you, too."

They both finally fell asleep after that, and Minseok absently thought of how even if the words made him feel the same way, the words itself had felt different. Somewhere on his way to falling asleep, he decided to kiss the strange feeling away in the morning until Luhan felt like himself again.

 

The next morning, he remembered. Minseok didn't usually forget things, especially not if they were related to Luhan. He spent a good chunk of their morning kissing Luhan, loving him all over until the other was more exhausted than when he'd crawled into bed the night before. Minseok only allowed him to doze off again when he felt satisfied with the result, and very much awake himself.

They shared a breakfast much later, and Luhan actually explained things to him. He told him that Zitao's and Jongdae's powers were of a growing nature, and that them being so intimate made it worse. It was a dilemma for sure, but Minseok was simply relieved that his own powers or grasp over said ones wasn't deteriorating. It hadn’t been his fault, after all.

Minseok was mostly driven by logic and liked to see obstacles in life as puzzles one had to solve. Now that he knew that he wasn't the root of the problem, he could take a metaphorical step back, look at the big picture, and search for a solution. Luhan's and Jongdae's train of thought was worth a try, so Minseok wasn't mad at all. They had talked about this, hypothetically going over various scenarios, and one of them had involved touching the person who kickstarted the growing process. If he had a choice, he would have actually preferred for Luhan to try this first, anyway. Actually fucking said person seemed a bit extreme, but since Luhan had shrugged it off, so had Minseok. He thought he'd mind last night, and maybe he _had_ minded, for a split second, but after allowing the information to settle in, that spark of doubt was ridiculous in hindsight.

The bond he and Luhan had went way too deep to be strained by something like this. Minseok wasn't the type to be jealous, especially not without a reason. So what if Luhan had touched someone? It wasn't the same way he touched him, couldn't be the same way, and the way he was looking at Minseok that morning was nothing short of loving.

Secretly, Minseok always aspired to make Luhan feel as treasured as he made him feel.  


* * *

 

He had arrived at the hotel room hours ago. Minseok liked to be prepared, and while he had seen the hotel room before, this was the first time it was booked for him.

He took a shower, idly wondering if Luhan had showered here, too. If he had showered with Jongdae. They had been meeting up for a few weeks, in this very hotel room, and the results so far had been positive. Luhan claimed that using his abilities came easier to him, that his senses were sharpened these days. He'd also claimed that reigning in Jongdae had become way easier after familiarizing himself with him and his energy. It had only been a matter of time after that confirmation, and now Minseok was sitting on the bed of the hotel room, his hair almost dry again, waiting for Jongdae to show up. He'd spread out some books and notes, using the meantime to study and keep his mind a little busy.

He hadn't communicated with Jongdae before, seeing as they still dutifully kept up the silence in public. Thus, he had no idea what to expect. Luhan had offered to share his experience in closer detail, and Minseok had politely declined as to not make things more complicated. Moreover, Minseok was a firm believer of experiencing things first hand before consulting others. It also wasn't like they _had_ to share a bed, anyway.

It was a little surreal, opening the door to Jongdae a while later, seeing his apprehensive expression. It was an unusual look on him. Then again, Minseok didn't know much about him. During their seal-carving sessions and even outside of them, Jongdae usually held himself with pride and a certain reassurance, maybe even cockiness. His lips always formed a natural smile, and even if that happened without him doing anything, he didn't try to counter it and look overly tough and serious, either (something that Zitao did occasionally).

To Minseok, Jongdae had always seemed relaxed, but powerful, like an open flame tempting those around it to step too close.

Now, though, he looked a little reluctant which infected Minseok, sowing doubts in him.

"Hi," Jongdae mumbled, forcing out a small smile that dropped just as quickly, and then he sat down on the edge of the bed, making sure not to touch Minseok as he did so.

"So," he then started anew, but didn't even try to finish the thought as his gaze traveled over the books spread out on the blanket.

"Sorry,” Minseok began, filling the void as he climbed on the bed, calmly closing his notebooks, “I was taking another look at our seal for tomorrow."  
It wasn't like him, to be the one filling the silence, but he had a hard time gauging Jongdae's intentions, and unlike so many other times, Minseok was forced to at least try and make things work between them.

"Which one is it?" Jongdae asked, surprising Minseok a little. It didn't sound like entirely aimless small talk, but that was probably because he couldn't see through him yet.

He had a nice voice, though, much unlike Luhan's warm, soft voice. Much sharper. Suited him well, from what he could tell.

"This one," Minseok said, flipping the pages in his notebook until he found a clean sketch, turning it over even though the symbol was point-based symmetrical. He noticed the way Jongdae avoided his touch as he gingerly took the book, looking at the fine lines and runes, tilting his head to read Minseok's notes.

"What does it do?"

"It's a protective charm. Prevents fires for a medium-sized building," Minseok explained as he closed the other books, not without checking whether the bookmarks were still in place. "Might be used for schools or hospitals. It's fairly simple. Maybe we'll manage to finish two tomorrow."

"Why can't we make it bigger? Have it cover more than just one building?" Jongdae asked, eyes flitting up to meet his, only to travel back to the sketch. It was amazing how little Jongdae understood of what they were doing, but Minseok got questions like these a lot, and he was a patient person through and through.

"Because with the comparably small amount of energy we are saving inside the seal, it would be used up very quickly, and would have to be replaced."

"What if we put more force into it?" Jongdae asked without missing a beat. Not withdrawing at the first sign of resistance - Minseok liked persistent people. Must be one of the reasons why Luhan had managed to get to him the way he had.

"The seal isn't constructed in a way that would be able to hold on to a larger amount of energy," Minseok calmly said, and then he slid closer to trail a fingertip over one of the outer rings. The way Jongdae leaned away from him was subtle, yet not subtle enough to go by unnoticed.

"See these? There's only two rings. Construction lines like these are well-suited for medium-sized endeavours. We do larger seals, occasionally, but most of our seals move in the mid-range."

"Why?" Jongdae asked, and now Minseok wasn't entirely sure where this was going anymore.

"I guess our output is most efficient that way," he stated, supporting his weight on his hand.

"If they gave us too many large seals, our quality would suffer."

"Would it?" Jongdae asked, sounding thoughtful, and now Minseok got it. Jongdae's powers were growing, so technically, he should be able to create much more powerful seals with them. If they could keep up. All of them.

"It would," Minseok said quietly, feeling a pang of irrational shame. It wasn't his fault that he wasn't able to keep up with Jongdae, he knew that. He really did.

Wordlessly, Jongdae offered his notes and Minseok retrieved them to place them on top of the books on the nightstand.

Then he took a deep breath -trying to be subtle about it- before he faced Jongdae, still kneeling on the bed while Jongdae retained his position on the edge of the bed.

"You don't have to do anything for me," Minseok began, still searching Jongdae's eyes to understand what he was thinking. "But only stimulating Luhan won't be enough. Not even Luhan and Zitao together could make up for the gap between us. And it seems to be growing wider."

Jongdae's brows furrowed at this, forming another expression Minseok only knew from particularly tricky seals.

"I know," he trailed off, sounding conflicted.

"You think I'm going to judge you? Compare you to Luhan?" Minseok asked, and it was mostly meant in a joking way, but Jongdae looked mildly startled.

"Right. I keep forgetting you two are... a thing," he said slowly, hesitantly.

"We're more than a thing," Minseok corrected him calmly, but he wasn't here to make Jongdae uncomfortable, so he added, "and we didn't talk about what you two did. I didn't ask. It's between us two right now."

When he'd been a little taken aback a while ago, Jongde looked full-on surprised now.

"You didn't?"

Minseok shook his head.

"No."

The shocked expression mellowed out and Jongdae lowered his gaze.

"What's on your mind?" Minseok asked quietly. Jongdae groaned quietly.

"I just-"

"Is it because I'm not Luhan?" Minseok asked softly, and he was quick to shake his head.

"That's not it. I know this is necessary."

He didn't see the way Minseok reached out for him, fingers slowly inching towards his shoulder.

"It's not like I- _don't_!" he almost hissed, but it was clearly fear that made him flinch away.

Minseok's hand froze mid-air, and he shot him a questioning look, which finally caused Jongdae to break.

"If you just touch me," he began, voice dropping to a whisper, "You might die for real."

This only added to Minseok's confusion, and it seemed like Jongdae was tired of letting him guess.

"The energy doesn't really respond to regular humans, and Zitao and Luhan are different from you. Their skills enable them to naturally counter me, that's a big part of what their powers _do_ ," Jongdae explained, still warily staring at him. Minseok idly wondered why he cared so much - he didn't see like the responsible, cautious type.

"You're not like that," Jongdae said quietly. "You're more of an element like me, and nothing is protecting you."

Minseok shot him a curious look, and then hummed thoughtfully. His voice was even, his tone gentle.

"Then you better be careful."

Without preamble, he closed the distance to run his fingers down Jongdae's cheek. The effect was instantaneous, violent and blinding, but Minseok forced himself to breathe, to not burst at the seams as sharp, unpleasant energy filled him and tried to claw its way out again through his skin.

He fully cupped the side of Jongdae's face, thumb running over the warm, smooth skin, and surrendered himself for just a moment, falling into the strange feeling of a thousand tiny needles washing over his body and mind. The entire sensation was huge, way bigger than anything Minseok had ever experienced, and instead of simply filling him out, he felt like drowning in it, like it was a sentient being that pushed him under water, but didn't hold him there. It was able to kill him, but wasn't actively trying to. At least that's what his blurry thoughts came up with - it was strange and surreal. Everything was.

When his vision cleared up, he could see the way Jongdae stared at him, looking strained and and tense. In fact, his entire posture looked stiff and cramped, and he was probably being the most careful he could be.

Despite the effort that it currently took, Minseok gave him a small smile.

 

When Minseok returned a while later, he was restless and too awake to immediately go to sleep. Luhan humored him by languidly kissing him until both their lips were swollen. He would have been down for more, but Minseok didn't really feel like having sex. When Luhan teasingly asked him if he was too spent, Minseok quipped back that he hadn't done anything with Jongdae, not even shared the most innocent kiss. Luhan was completely dumbfounded when he heard about that, claiming that this sounded nothing like the Jongdae he had spent time with. _That_ Jongdae was bratty, pushy, and liked to rile Luhan up to the point that he had to use his powers if only to reign him in. And he always seemed a little astounded whenever Luhan prove that he could do just that.

'Curious,' Minseok had only said. Luhan hummed, not realizing that Minseok wasn't referring to Jongdae but to him, and the way he talked about Jongdae. It was some food for thought for Minseok, who would have loved to think about it a little longer. That was right around the time his exhaustion caught up with him though, his body not used to hosting such an amount of energy.

He really hoped he would get used to it faster.

 

The next day, Minseok felt different, and it was obvious why Luhan had claimed that their little scheme worked. It didn't feel like he had grown stronger, or like Jongdae's energy was still running through his veins. It simply felt like a good day, like one of those days when the cold was almost eager to oblige his wishes. Not like it usually resisted. Where Jongdae's energy felt like a living, willful being that demanded to be tamed, Minseok's was more of a dormant, solid nature. Tugging it forth simply seemed lighter than usual, if only a tiny bit. The day after that, things returned to normal, and while this was expected, Minseok was still quietly disappointed. He wondered whether a weekly meeting was enough to keep the spark alive, nursing it until it grew large enough to actually light something permanent in him. Luhan claimed that it worked for him, but Jongdae had been right when he said that he and Luhan were different.

With a small shake of his head, Minseok rearranged his notes. This entire affair was distracting him from actually studying. His mentor wouldn't scold him, but Minseok didn't study to satisfy his mentor - he did it to become more knowledgeable, to understand the seals they carved, and to maybe even be able to construct his own seals one day. He'd never intended to make his grasp over the cold rule his life and he wouldn't start now.

With that in mind, he finally managed to stop thinking about anything that wasn't related to runes for the rest of the afternoon.  


* * *

 

It felt a little mean even to Minseok himself that he was disappointed when he was greeted by Zitao the week after, instead of Jongdae.

The flicker of disappointment quickly made way for confusion, though, and Minseok stepped aside to allow him in. Zitao closed the door after him, seemingly reluctant to even look at him.

"Where's Jongdae? Is he sick?" Minseok asked, instead of a greeting, and instantly regretted his rude attitude. Zitao's eyes narrowed just a little, but he only shrugged.

"Something like that," he said evasively, and Minseok hummed, crossing his arms.

"Did you just want to let me know, or did you want to fill in for him...?" Minseok asked, not unkindly.

In response, Zitao walked over to sit down on the bed.

"I'll do it. It's not fair if Jongdae has to do all the work," he stated, sounding like he was convincing himself rather than Minseok.

With a pensive hum, Minseok joined him on the bed. They hadn't brought Zitao into this yet, because his abilities were less likely to spark a reaction in any of them; at least not on a short term. He also hadn't exactly volunteered before, as far as Minseok understood it, but now he was here, and there was no reason for Minseok to refuse him.

"I see. Did you have anything in mind?" he asked probingly, and Zitao shrugged.

"Whatever you did with Jongdae is fine by me."

Now if Minseok would have said this, he would have meant it, easy as that. There would have been no conflict and no need to worry. The way Zitao said it, however, didn't feel quite right. It felt like ice cracking beneath his feet.

Minseok was not above admitting that the finer art of social interaction didn't come easy to him, and there had been many occasions where he had messed up. In his mind, communicating with people was comparable to approaching someone while walking over a frozen sea, not knowing the properties of the ice you hope is holding you up. It might crack under your feet at a wrong step, giving you a clear warning, but it was all too easy to ignore the signs; it was easy, tempting even, to think you might have imagined them, to assume it was nothing to worry about. And then you took another step, pushed a little too far, and the tiny crack quickly split the ice and cause you to drown.

He'd felt the ground breaking beneath him more often than he would have liked, and he had learnt from his mistakes.

 

Minseok saw the signs. And halted.

"Are you okay with this? With all of this?" he asked, purposefully elaborating, despite it not being in his nature. Zitao shot him an almost petulant look.

"I agreed to it."

"You can always change your mind," Minseok replied without missing a beat, relaxing his own posture a little, now that it was obvious they had things to talk about. For a few, long moments, Zitao didn't say anything, alternating between looking at Minseok and to the ground, hesitating, before a small groan escaped him and the spell was broken.

"I don't know," he admitted, fingers restlessly running up and down his thighs. "I didn't think I would mind, but... I'm not usually like this."

"There is no need to defend yourself," Minseok commented, and an idea popped up. He didn't immediately act on it, allowing it to quell a little as Zitao fumbled with words.

"I know you're not out to-" he began, cutting himself off once again to start anew, "I just. It's probably because Jongdae and I haven't been together for long, so..."

He looked downright defeated and ashamed as he ran his hand through his sandy-blonde hair, but he didn't even attempt to get up and leave. Minseok took this as a sign, too.

"I actually had plans for today," he said as softly as he could. Zitao looked at him warily, but silently encouraged him to keep going, anyway. Minseok drew up his legs to fully sit on the mattress.

"Turn around."

It wasn't a demand as much as it was a suggestion. Zitao followed, anyway, and when Minseok gently told him to properly sit on the bed, he also obliged. The tunic he was wearing wasn't overly thin, but Minseok could see the tension radiating off him, anyway.

"I'll touch you now," he announced. It was awkward but given their circumstances, it was necessary. He had no idea what Zitao's powers could potentially do to protect him in the heat of the moment.

He placed both hands on the others shoulders, a light and predictable touch. He felt nothing, not even a little spark, but that was actually welcome.

Zitao's shoulders were broader than Luhan's or Jongdae's, and one might think he's skinnier than them, too, but as he softly ran his hands down his upper arms, he could already tell that Zitao was deceivingly muscular. Slender, but pronounced.

He took his time before touching the other's exposed skin, running his fingers over his tanned nape, rubbing circles into the warm skin. Zitao exhaled at this, an almost soundless sigh. Instead of asking again, Minseok slid his fingers around to rest over the multiple strings keeping the fabric together. He kept his movements very slow as he tugged the first one loose, waiting for Zitao to show a reaction. He didn't. He couldn't even hear him breathe.

Minseok undid another string, painfully slowly. And then stopped.

For a moment he thought the other would get up and leave, but then shaky fingers brushed his per accident and he felt the tension leave the fabric.

In response, Minseok didn't immediately run his palms over the others chest, dipping beneath the fabric in a way that tended to excite Luhan. Instead, he returned to his shoulders, taking his time in slowly dragging down the fabric to touch bare skin. He also began to talk, keeping his voice quiet, just like it was comfortable to him.

"Jongdae and I didn't do anything worth mentioning," he began.

"Jongdae and Luhan, however, went all the way and back, for all I can imagine."

Zitao didn't reply, but that was alright. Minseok simply kept going, leaving breaks in between his sentences whenever his mission to feel out stiff muscles was too distracting.

"I was hesitant about that, at first. I wondered whether that would change things between us. Between me and Luhan."

He felt the other relax cautiously under his touch, and Minseok took it as a sign to keep his touches around the shoulder blade area for a while longer. He really was more muscular than he looked, but he also had quite a few hard knobs that didn't need to be there.

"And sure, things have changed, for all of us. But between Luhan and me, nothing has changed."

He applied more pressure and Zitao hissed, but stayed put.

"This is difficult," he began, and it was obvious that he wasn't talking about massaging Zitao. He slowed down as his mind tried to catch up with a rather complex thought while keeping his fingers busy.

"You need a lot of faith. Things can become weird, anyway. Ultimately, we have no full control over this situation. But we never have. I can understand how that's scary to you."

Zitao shivered, but didn't reply until Minseok had gently, but surely pushed him to lie on his stomach.

"Why is this so easy to you, then?"

Without all the defensive edges, Zitao's voice was rather soft, and Minseok huffed, displaying a faint smile the other couldn't see as he hovered over him.

"Because I trust Luhan."

He steadied his entire weight on his thighs as he ran his hands over Zitao's back, a little broader than before, attempting to warm his skin.

"I trust him to appreciate my company the way he always has, even if there are other people in his life."

Zitao hummed, and while it sounded mopey, there was a pensive tinge to it.

"And even if he happens to enjoy Jongdae's touch - or yours - I trust that this changes nothing in the way he enjoys mine," Minseok ended, kneading out another little knot.

"It really sounds easy if you put it like that," Zitao murmured almost wistfully, and really, he was almost a little surprised himself over how easy all of this came to him. Was he a fool blinded by love? Maybe. But him and Luhan ran deep, and what they had was untouchable. He just knew that.

After another moment of silence, Zitao blindly reached back to tug at Minseok.

"You're shaking. I'm not gonna break, you know?" he asked, and Minseok relented, sinking down to sit on the other's lower back. Some people would have claimed that the ice between them had broken, but Minseok thought differently. The ice had grown more solid, supporting both of them, allowing them both to stand without crashing under the other's weight.

"You're really stiff, you know?" Minseok commented, but there was no accuse to it.

"I know. I don't like massages."

Minseok halted in his movements.

"Oh?" he asked, carefully, and he could see Zitao shifting uncomfortably at the loss of warmth.

"I don't like it when strangers touch me, but... well."

"Are we still strangers after working together for almost two years?" Minseok asked, a playful hint to it as he resumed his work.

"Somewhat. But also not at all, at the same time. It's strange."

"It is. You could have told me to stop though."

Zitao hummed, and it sounded a little embarrassed when he responded.

"I thought we'll stop being strangers soon, anyway."

"We won't do anything we're not feeling," Minseok said, and he felt a little spark, so random and small that he thought he'd imagined it.

"Sure," Zitao said, and Minseok didn't know what to make of it.

It happened gradually, not at all like the violent shock he had gotten from Jongdae. His skin started to prickle where it touched Zitao's, and he was starting to feel warm. Not uncomfortably so, not sweaty, just... warm. Where Jongdae's energy was brash and aggressive, and Luhan's smooth and purposeful, Zitao's felt like a warm ocean wave dowsing him from inside, bleeding smoothly into his every fibre.

"Does it... work?" Zitao asked when Minseok's movements faltered.

"I need to use my abilities for others to feel them. I can stop though," he trailed off, and the insecurity was back. In response, Minseok tugged at the cold, calling it forth to be able to trail a cool hand over Zitao's back, watching him shiver.

"It feels really good," he admitted. He wasn't used to having to spell out his thoughts and feelings like this, but he had a feeling that even if Zitao could interpret Minseok's energy and condition, he'd still rely on verbal confirmation first and foremost. Indeed, Zitao relaxed after that, and the sensation intensified gradually, but never in a suffocating way.

Minseok had been told that Zitao was easily as powerful as Jongdae, and yet his energy wasn't threatening at all. It was quite amazing. He couldn't stop wondering over how very gentle it felt, and suddenly, the idea of him bringing peace to Jongdae wasn't strange at all anymore.

"What are you using your abilities for, right now?" he asked quietly. Zitao had closed his eyes, but the answer came quickly nonetheless.

"Keeping you warm."

Minseok used his fingers to reply, dragging them up and down his spine, and he _felt_ the others sigh.

"I meant to do this to Jongdae, actually," he mentioned off-handedly, and maybe the warmth had lulled him into being less mindful with his words. To his surprise, Zitao didn't react negatively to that, and just silently snorted.

"But he chickened out on you."

"He did, didn't he?" Minseok mused, and the tension between them was simply gone. It was quite pleasant.

"He's scared he might hurt you," Zitao admitted, sounding a little drowsy.

"I know," Minseok replied easily, concluding his massage by dragging the fabric up and over his back again. Zitao's fingers found his arm in an awkward, blind flail, holding on to him.

"I'm not going anywhere," Minseok stated softly, and the grip loosened almost immediately. He lay down instead, half-covering Zitao's back, asking him whether this was alright.

"If Jongdae is still too dangerous for you, you can meet up with me for now," Zitao said instead of an answer. Minseok couldn't hold back.

"What, you think I'll spoil you like this every day?"

"I didn't say that," Zitao protested, wriggling under Minseok, who only tightened his hold on him.

"You might have been right though. Pity you _didn_ 't say it."

Zitao complained half-heartedly, but the additional rush of comforting warmth spoke otherwise.

He hoped it was alright for him to indulge in that peaceful feeling, if only for a little while.  


* * *

 

He did meet up with Zitao more often afterwards. It was clearly less of a strong boost of energy than he had received from Jongdae, but it worked. Commanding the cold was becoming easier as days went by, and he could feel that Luhan was also growing stronger. With Minseok slowly catching up to Jongdae, it finally became possible to do small seals again, without having to worry too much about any of them blowing it up. At this rate, they would soon be able to tackle more complex seals than before, and Minseok looked forward to that. He may not look like it, but he was competitive, and challenges were his favourite temptations to give in - aside from Luhan.

Work and special energy flows aside, he was also growing fond of Zitao though. It came easy to him, almost naturally so, but that didn't mean he had lost interest in Jongdae. The way Luhan and Zitao spoke of him was contrasting, and Minseok was... curious. It only egged him on further that Jongdae hadn't sought him out again after their one and only meet up. During their seal carving sessions, he acted normal enough; it might be wishful thinking, of course, but Minseok felt like he was looking at him more than he used to. Not like he could really tell - Minseok was too focused during their sessions to pay much attention to anything outside of the circle he was drawing.

Despite him looking forward to this, he was completely caught by surprise when Jongdae did decide to approach him. Because it wasn't the hotel room they met in, and not even close to it. He stood right outside Minseok's door one afternoon, looking like he'd seen a ghost.

Minseok was too dumb-founded to even say a word and simply hurried to close the door after Jongdae had unceremoniously invited himself in. He locked it, too, and before he could ask whether anyone had seen him, Jongdae was pressing him against the door, kissing him like he meant it, and Minseok's vision blanked out for a scorching second.

It was just as intense as it had been when they met for the first time, which only demonstrated how much more powerful Minseok was, being able to take that much more from Jongdae. Luhan wasn't home yet, he dimly thought, but he wasn't prepared for any of this to happen in their shared apartment. Zitao wasn't in town, either, having been sent to a neighboring town to assist the seal deliveries. Was Jongdae simply horny and had shown up to get to touch whoever was home? It seemed unlikely, but it was almost impossible to think with the way Jongdae nipped at his lips, fingers running through his hair and cupping the back of his head as if he feared Minseok would draw away.

Jongdae made a small noise, a mix between whimper and moan, and Minseok had just made the hazy decision that Luhan wouldn't mind as long as they didn't do it on the bed, when Jongdae ripped himself free. He still looked spooked, and now the worry managed to seep back into his muddled, lust-driven mind.

"They found out," Jongdae breathed out, almost clawing into Minseok's shoulders before he seemed to remember something, and let go. The sizzling, siren-like noise finally ebbed down, and Minseok blinked.

"What?" he asked, but his heart was already dropping.

"They found out about us. They saw Zitao entering the hotel room last week, two of our co-workers. I already got a visit by our superiors. We're screwed," Jongdae repeated, waiting for Minseok to catch on to the gravity of the situation.

They had been caught fraternizing among a team, meaning that they would have to be split up. Probably split up by many miles to start anew somewhere else.

Minseok shook his head before he knew what he was going to say.

"No. There is a way," he said numbly, blinking away the haze, and trying to ignore the loud, nervous energy that was radiating off Jongdae in a chaotic way.

"There is a way," he repeated, more to himself than anything.

"Pretend it never happened? Bit late for that," Jongdae commented, showing a clear tendency to snark in the face of fear. Minseok shook his head again, too shocked to be annoyed at his attitude.

"No, we put the cards on the table," he said, looking Jongdae straight in the eye.

"All of them. And then have them give us a trial."

Jongdae was full of questions, and to prevent him from spiraling into panic any further, Minseok pulled him into a firm hug, turning their positions around to push him up against the door. It was almost unbearable, and he couldn't hear whose breath was hitching, but he didn't let go.

This wasn't the smug, superior Jongdae they all knew.

"Zitao's really important to you, isn't he?" Minseok whispered, blindly hoping Jongdae heard him.

"Yes," Jongdae responded hoarsely. "All of you are. I don't want to leave this place."

The words reminded him of Luhan, of the way he sometimes cuddled close and lamented over this being the first real home he'd been allowed to have, growing up with the powers he had.

"Then we'll find a way," Minseok said, feeling strangely certain and determined, and sure it wasn't all thanks to Jongdae's energy clawing into and onto him.

He'd make sure that this fragile thing they had wouldn't be torn apart by anyone else. He would make sure of that.

  
  


_the fourth wall_

 

Falling in love with Jongdae had been a gradual process for Zitao. It had started way back, when they’d first been introduced to each other, four very different people sitting in an office and receiving instructions. For Zitao, who was easily the youngest of them all and had only arrived mere days ago, this was his first permanent, real job, and he had been a nervous wreck. All the other ones seemed more experienced, from the professional-looking guy named Minseok with the cool look, over Luhan whose easy smile somehow managed to look sophisticated... to Jongdae. The moment he saw Jongdae, Zitao had been intrigued. Not full-blown crushing on him, not madly fallen in love, for that would have just been ridiculous. No, he had simply been intrigued by the cordial behaviour and almost cute gestures that seemed razor sharp at the same time. It was also the first time he had ever felt someone else's abilities so pointedly without making an effort to.

Jongdae was interesting. And he stayed interesting as the weeks passed by. It never went beyond casual interest, at least not for a full year, when Zitao's heart seemingly decided to slowly latch on to Jongdae without asking for anyone's permission first. Casual looks became longer, the mention of Jongdae made him perk up, and on some warm summer night, Zitao found himself awake, staring at the ceiling and realizing that he couldn't stop _thinking_ about him.

Sure, he shouldn't feel that way about one of his team members and sure, it was very much forbidden to engage with him, but as long as Zitao would silently pine a little, no harm would be done, right?

No matter how much the _silent little pining_ hurt, if he kept it to himself, everything should be fine.

Even knowing all this, Zitao had followed after him like a fool on that one, fateful day. He hadn't meant to kiss him, god forbid touch him the way he had. He'd meant to help him, stabilize him, really, but when they touched, everything had collapsed and then he woke up next to Jongdae, both of them naked, full of love bites, and both equally confused.

Though on Zitao's end, his heart was acting up almost as much as his mind. He'd been terrified of the prospect of Jongdae rejecting him, pretending this never happened, or worse, handing him to the authorities and demand his exclusion from the team. None of that happened, though, and they stuck together through their confusion until it wore off and being together became a habit.

Zitao played along, shared his time and bed with him, expecting to get hurt in the long run, but they just kept going. Just like that, they slipped into something Zitao was too scared to name, in fear of the bubble bursting. And then one day, Jongdae had burst inside his apartment, asking him if it was okay if he slept with Luhan. Not even with anyone, but _Luhan_ , their leader, the reassured guy who Zitao had always felt a little inferior to, if he was being completely honest. He had bristled before he could even think about which reaction he wanted to display, and Jongdae's entire expression had switched to one of honest surprise.

 _Oh_ , was all that Jongdae had said, and if Zitao wasn't so ridiculously gone for this man, he would have called him stupid. The way things were though, he didn't say anything, waiting for the long-overdue rejection. Instead, he felt lips on his as Jongdae kissed him, ever so demanding, but not nearly as hungry as usual. A seal all on its own.

'I'll stay if you don't want me to go,' he had whispered against his lips. Then he'd drawn away enough for Zitao to be able to look at him, and Jongdae's eyes were always bright, but rarely this expressive.

'But if I do go, I will come back.'

He didn't say 'back to you,' but Zitao let him go anyway, and Jongdae did return, with an explanation and kisses that were softer than ever.

Zitao thought he was screwed, that he had just opened the door to living the miserable life of some sort of mistress only used to keep the bed warm. He wondered whether Jongdae had tested him by not explaining things right away and giving him time to decide, or whether it had been impulse alone. Regardless, he'd had his fair share of doubts about the entire thing... until he met up with Minseok.

Minseok was different from Jongdae and Luhan. He didn't feel nearly as much like a threat as Luhan, and where Jongdae was ambiguous and hard to read, with Minseok everything seemed easy and obvious. And personalities aside, being around Minseok was simply pleasant. Zitao's own abilities were growing slowly, but relentlessly, and sometimes, they felt overwhelming, like a crushing weight on his lungs. While it felt good to let it all out when he and Jongdae made love, Minseok's touch was like a cool, soothing band aid over the ever so restless power he had. He didn't feel caged in or restricted, and simply like he was... slowing down a little. Breathing a little deeper, inhaling cool, clean air. He could see how this might benefit Jongdae. As soon as Minseok was sturdy enough not to crumble under Jongdae's touch, that is.

It was probably selfish, the way he preened under Minseok's attention, the way he allowed the other to take complete control in a way that he never did when it came to Jongdae. Before he knew it, Zitao had to face the fact that he was no better than any of the others, but also that he was no less faithful than he was before. This strange thing between them... it worked. It felt rudimentary still, but it actually worked and Zitao was coming to terms with that.

Ironically enough, he returned to the bad news almost immediately after. They had been discovered.

That night, Jongdae didn't want to to have sex, which was unexpected, to say the least. Instead, he wouldn't stop kissing Zitao, keeping him close under the blankets, fingers digging into his back without the intention to hurt. It almost felt like he wanted to ingrain the feeling into his mind for long after they'd be separated. Maybe Zitao refused to fall asleep on him for that very reason, too.

 

* * *

 

When they arrived at the office together the next day - there really was no use keeping up the pretense any longer - the other two were already present, waiting in a room with one of the higher ups. Zitao steeled himself for the speech that was about to come, and while the woman rambled on and on about their responsibility, about how dangerous playing around with their powers was to all of the people around them, he simply stared to the ground, trying hard to neither cry nor look disrespectful. He hated people scolding him, but he hated it even more if he thought it wasn't called for. He couldn't see the other's reactions, and silently wished he could hold Jongdae's hand. Or Minseok’s.

He obediently stayed silent until she was done and Luhan spoke up for all of them, just as Jongdae had said he would. He explained their situation in professional words, obviously rattling down a prepared speech of his own. It was a good one though, and for once, Zitao was grateful that Luhan was in charge. He talked about their balance, about the fact that they’d intended to _save_ their team, not sabotage it. And that it was working. He closed his speech by calmly, but surely demanding a trial to prove themselves as a team. It was apparently their right to get one, even though Zitao had never heard of anything like that. He was honestly more of an intuitive person, a craftsman, in a way. If Minseok was a scholar, and Jongdae the polar opposite, Zitao would be closer to Jongdae. And Luhan would be closer to Minseok, looking at the technical aspects of things.

She wasn't happy about it, but begrudgingly agreed and left to send a telegraph to the capital. None of them spoke a word even when she was gone, strangely keen on not messing anything up now. They exchanged looks that ranked from worry (in Luhan's case), over the blank mask that was Minseok's expression and to the undeniable tiredness on Jongdae's face. Zitao took his hand this time, and saw the way Minseok and Luhan followed the movement, but didn't do anything to stop or mirror them. Minseok's and Luhan's relationship still puzzled Zitao a little. It was hard to judge them with how private they were, but apparently, they were very devoted, and he respected that.

Their supervisor returned not too long after, declaring with a sigh that their request for a trial had been granted. A proper judge was not too far away from their little town and would be notified to stop by the office... the next day.

Zitao couldn't help looking as terrified as he did, and only his sheer habit of having to shut up around the others kept him from protesting. They got less than a day to prepare themselves?

"We're free for the rest of the day then, I assume?" Luhan only asked politely, and received a dismissive confirmation in return.

Zitao painted scenarios of him becoming a rogue mage in his mind. It wasn't the first time. It would probably be easy for him. Easier than for Jongdae.

"Very well. We'll take the time to prepare ourselves," Luhan simply said, and with a last, disappointed sigh, the supervisor handed Minseok a folded piece of paper and left.

"What is it?" Zitao whispered as soon as the door was closed, unable to keep up the silence any longer. Minseok unfolded the paper, and his expression scrunched up in something that looked like wary confusion.

"Never heard of that one," Luhan mumbled, standing behind Minseok to peek at the paper. Zitao didn't like being ignored but Minseok ignored all of them equally as he got to his feet and walked to one of the shelves, fingers running over the back of books until he pulled out a particularly thick one. It was placed on the desk and opened towards the end of it, where he swiftly turned the pages in search for something. The others crowded behind him, and Zitao had a bad feeling about anything that was found in the back of such an old and complex-looking book. When he found the page that had been scribbled on the piece of paper, Minseok exhaled in breathy disbelief.

"Fuck," he muttered in what sounded almost like amazement. Zitao leaned forwards to catch a look at the page, but he had no idea what he was looking at. It was a seal printed over the entirety of the page, looking more complex than anything he'd seen before, with multiple circles, symmetric forms and runes draping around three evenly spread out points.

"Well, shit," Luhan commented unintelligently. "Can you do this?"

Minseok vaguely shook his head.

"I don't know. I. Need to take a closer look..."

"Sure," Luhan agreed immediately. "We'll leave you to it. Let's meet up later, at eight. I'll book us a room, assuming none of our apartments has enough room for four."

"You can sit on my lap," Jongdae spoke up, but it sounded half-hearted. Luhan didn't even dignify it with an answer and instead suggested they train together a little while Minseok was left studying on his own.

They had trained together before, but never purposefully so; it had been more of a coincidental meet up in the training rooms, and mutual tolerance towards each other. None of them had been born in this town (except for Minseok), and unlike Luhan, who had moved here when he was little, Zitao had absolved his training overseas, while Jongdae had been trained near the capital until they decided that they'd rather have someone as dangerous as him to be far away. Being the last addition to their team meant that Zitao had little to no experience in training with the others, but simply from working with them, he had attained a pretty good grasp over their abilities. Luhan naturally took the lead, and Zitao was irked over that, but kept it to himself. This was not the time for childishness. They had to work together effectively during their trial. And Luhan didn't go easy on them, especially pushing Jongdae to his limit - or at least he came closer to doing so than he ever had before. They took changes in trying to mold and move his energy, with Jongdae trying to keep it as steady as he could. All the dislike aside, Zitao had to admit that Luhan was fair, distributing the tasks evenly between them - this was not about standing out or competing with each other, and if Luhan didn't provoke him, Zitao would play along. This was for all of them, after all.

When they were done, all three were sweaty and exhausted. Jongdae was sitting on the ground, leaning against the conductor while Zitao was sprawled on the floor, entirely uncaring about his appearance. Unlike Jongdae, he liked exercising, but he couldn't remember the last time he had been so mentally drained. He'd probably have trouble blowing out a candle by using his abilities only.

"That was good," he groaned between heavy breaths, and Luhan stepped into his vision, all his usual prettiness obscured by exhaustion; he looked flushed and a little glassy-eyed, his bangs plastered to his face.

"Right? Pretty refreshing, actually," he stated, dropping to the ground next to him to offer a bottle of water. Zitao swung himself into a sitting position, and he couldn't help shooting him a reluctant look, but his throat burnt and Luhan had been nothing but nice to him all day, so he accepted it with a small 'thanks'. Luhan neither coddled nor made fun of him and just dismissed it, in favor of stretching out on the ground himself. Zitao couldn't help but think that he grew more and more attached to their team as the hours passed by.

 

* * *

 

They met up a few hours later, all showered and ready to discuss their next steps.

Minseok looked a little tired and worn out but he shot Zitao a short, small smile, anyway, before they all sat on the plush carpet. It felt like the strangest déja-vû, the way they so naturally took their usual positions, until Luhan naturally slid closer to Minseok, placing an arm around him. Being jealous would be ridiculous, Zitao reminded himself.

"The seal they want us to carve tomorrow is big. Much bigger than anything we ever attempted before, so this will be a first," Minseok began, placing a piece of paper on the ground between them. It showed a perfectly fine, hand-drawn copy of the seal they had seen in the book.

"When executed correctly, this seal will be able to protect a small town, but here's the twist - it works inwards, and that shows."

He trailed his finger over the drawing, explaining the seals properties as roughly as he could, and even if they'd never had a huge interest in the actual seals, both Zitao and Jongdae tried their best to follow along. It sounded incredibly complex, and he was pretty sure he wouldn't be able to remember half of it the next day, though Minseok made sure to show them lines to gain orientation from.

"This part over here," he continued, tapping on the small circles surrounding the three centers, "is the most delicate one. It will likely do weird things to Jongdae, which means that you need to steady us extra carefully there."

Zitao and Luhan exchanged a look.

"You go first, as usual," Zitao offered. "I'll back you up and only step in if you can't hold it. We shouldn't both jump into this at the same time."

"Yeah," Luhan agreed, running his hand up and down Minseok's side absently. Zitao hated himself a little for noticing it.

"There's only so much you guys can do in preparation, so-"

"We better get some rest," Luhan cut him off, and Minseok made a face, still staring at the drawing.

"Sure. I'll just rehearse it one last time and-"

"How long will that take?" Jongdae asked, surprisingly. Minseok blinked, looking defensive.

"An hour maybe."

"No can do, we need sleep," Jongdae stated easily, receiving a frown in return.

"I'm not saying you all need to stay up with me," Minseok began, and Luhan looked actually amused, watching the two argue - because Jongdae was having none of it.

"And _I'm_ saying that you look like shit and you better not mess up tomorrow over something as basic as a lack of sleep," Jongdae stated, but it didn't sound at all accusatory. By Jongdae's standards, it sounded uncharacteristically gentle. Instead of jealousy, Zitao felt warm and affectionate. It was unexpected, really. There were so many aspects of their relationship that he had yet to explore, and the more time he spent among the other three, the more he wanted to.

"It feels good to properly plan things out though, doesn't it?" Luhan began, and it didn't seem like an attempt to distract from Minseok's workaholic nature, but rather like something he'd just been dying to say. He was grinning so confidently, it was equal times strange and nice.

"I feel much more prepared than usual. We got this. After all, Minseok is insanely smart, you’re stupidly strong, and you are dexterous enough to to reverse even the tiniest particles. We'll be fine."

Zitao wanted to say something about Luhan, too, praising his powers in some way, but what slipped instead was, "And you're watching over all of us."

Luhan looked positively surprised, almost smug, and Zitao wanted to take it back immediately.

"Don't let it get to your head-"

"Oh come on, Taotao, I will gladly watch over you, come here," Luhan began, making grabby hands that had Zitao scoot away with a petulant expression, and Jongdae laughed, wanting in on that.

"Watch over me, as well," he added almost sweetly, but with Jongdae, especially sweet words were laced with innuendos.

"Guys, please. We either work or sleep now, make up your mind," Minseok complained, and Luhan pecked his cheek without thinking.

"Yes, yes, old man, let's get some rest."

  


Zitao would be a liar to say that he hadn't considered this when Luhan had booked a room with two king-sized beds, and after pushing them both together, there was room for all four of them without it being cramped. He had the courtesy to put on some pants at least (as opposed to the usual, bare state he slept in), and enjoyed the way Minseok and Luhan were not so subtly ogling his upper body before Jongdae switched off the light. There was still bright moonlight filtering in through the window, and before everyone had settled down, Zitao unceremoniously rolled over Minseok, who lay to his left.

"I wanna lie next to Jongdae," he claimed, and someone softly laughed to his far left - must be Luhan.

"Who said I wanna lie next to you?" Jongdae joked just as he molded himself into his side. Now Zitao was lying in between Jongdae on his left and Minseok on his right, with Luhan lying on the far end, next to Jongdae. That way he could embrace the familiar, fluttery energy of Jongdae while feeling a soothing cold against his back. It felt amazing, and he unconsciously put in an effort to freeze some dead particles in time, simply to give back a little of that feeling - usually, his power got to work immediately when it came to Jongdae, simply out of self-defense, but Jongdae was uncharacteristically calm. He was probably just as exhausted as them.

"So, tomorrow's the day, huh?" Luhan said into the silence, and Minseok huffed.

"Making us nervous, after all?" he asked, and Luhan hummed in negation.

"Just thinking aloud. What are we gonna do if we fail?"

Jongdae snorted, but Zitao felt the hands encircling his waist tighten.

"What if we fail? You wanna elope and see your pretty face on all the wanted posters?"

"Don't be sad,” Luhan quipped, “with less people look at your posters, it's less likely you'll be caught.”

There was some movement and Jongdae wriggled, presumably engaging in a small squabble. In the meantime, Minseok silently drew Zitao against his chest, and he wished he was shuddering because of the cold.

"He wouldn't be caught at all," Minseok said with soft finality, his voice tickling the sensitive skin below his hairline. "But it's not like we'll fail, anyway, right?"

It was a heavy implication, that all of them would rather run than be separated. It sounded like Luhan and Minseok would stay with the two of them, but Zitao wasn't going to push for a clear answer. They would consider this when the time came. If it came.

A sudden thought hit him and he turned in Minseok's loose grasp.

"Don't you wanna lie next to Luhan? Is this okay?"

He felt cool lips brush his forehead, and then Minseok pressed further against his back.

"Don't worry about it."

They fell asleep like that, with Zitao and Jongdae holding each other loosely, while Minseok was wrapped around his back, one of his hands also touching Jongdae. He was almost asleep when he realized why Minseok didn't mind lying so far away from Luhan - with the way they were touching, they were all connected. In a strange, comforting way, he was feeling every single one of them. And it was the best feeling he'd ever had.

 

* * *

 

They were all sitting in one of the smaller offices, waiting for their trial to start. Minseok had his eyes closed, fingers drawing little signs as he kept memorizing the seal. He could take the drawing with him, sure, but consulting it in the progress could be risky. They had also agreed on keeping their 'no talking' rule inside the seal room, as to ensure no one was tipped off balance. Next to Zitao, Jongdae was blankly staring at the ground, breathing evenly, purposefully evenly. Zitao had subtly wrapped an arm around his waist, keeping him grounded, but he seemed pretty composed already. The training might have something to do with it, but Zitao had the lingering suspicion that the four of them being so close all night had been the key. It would certainly make sense for Jongdae to be balanced out by their presence - his energy was restless, always seeking an outlet, and the permanent exchange was keeping him busy, while Luhan and Minseok tended to calm him down, too.

It made sense for Minseok to look so well-rested and awake, too, because Jongdae's presence worked like caffeine to him, though it also seemed to have positive long term effects.

Zitao didn't know much about Luhan's abilities, but they seemed to benefit from Jongdae in the same way.

And he?

It seemed to be a little different for Zitao himself, who had no permanently active ability buzzing through him, so unless he made an effort to use it, no one would feel or benefit from them. When he woke up, he'd felt a little dizzy and on edge from passively absorbing everything all night, but it was nothing a sleepy make out session with Jongdae couldn't fix (though the fact that Minseok was very clearly awake and right next to them sent him to the edge a little quicker than he would have liked).

Now they might be grossly underprepared, but as rested as they could ever be, so Zitao figured that his anxiety wasn't serving any purpose. Not that it usually did, but that didn't make it any less real of a feeling.

The noise around them had slowly, gradually vanished, and at some point, Luhan muttered that the building was completely empty. Before Zitao could whine about potentially being forgotten, the door opened to reveal a young, soft-looking man wearing long, traditional but simple robes and a gentle smile.

"Good day to you all. I'm Zhang Yixing, representative of the capital. I'm here to be the judge for your trial."

Despite his friendly demeanour, Zitao immediately felt respect for him, and suddenly he thought of how it must take bravery and confidence to have an appearance this soft in a position such as his. He didn't dare use his powers to maybe get a feeling for what kind of abilities he had, but a look towards Luhan was enough to tell him that this Zhang Yixing was powerful on his own.

"Thank you. We're honoured to have you judge us," Luhan said after stepping forwards, and it was obvious that he, too, was nervous. He still went through introducing everyone, and Yixing had a polite smile for all of them.

"Alright then. Would you show me to your seal room? There’s no one else around anymore, and you know these floors best, don't you?" Yixing asked, and on their way there, Zitao couldn't help but wonder whether he truly wouldn’t be able to find the seal room, or whether this was another little mind game.

They had never entered the seal room through the same door, and for a very strange little moment, Zitao wasn't sure which his usual spot was.

When they were all seated, with Yixing sitting against the wall on a spare cushion they had taken from another office, the representative spoke up, obviously going over the formal procedures.

"I, Zhang Yixing, will oversee this magic trial in the name of the kingdom. There are no regular people in this building, which is sealed itself, as to not let any harm reach the outside."

Magic. Officials always used such fancy words. Still, Zitao couldn't help himself and lifted his hand. Yixing looked almost amused that he would do so.

"Yes?"

"What about you? Sir?" he added a little too late, a little too unsure, but Yixing only shook his head.

"Don't you worry about me," he replied, looking perfectly calm and not worried the least bit himself. "I am not part of your trial, and I will not be harmed. Your line of thinking is noble though."

He didn't seem to mean it as a joke but Zitao felt embarrassed, anyway, and was determined not to speak up again.

"Simply show me how you work. Do what makes you the most comfortable. The result is what counts," Yixing said, and then made a small hand gesture. "You may begin as soon as you're ready."

They all exchanged a look, Jongdae took a deep breath, and then he placed his palm on the ground, filling the pre-drawn chalk circle with energy. He kept adding to it, and Minseok and Luhan kept looking at him, waiting patiently. They needed more. Well, _more_ was never a problem with Jongdae, but the tiny size of their room worked to their disadvantage here, Zitao could tell already. It would be much easier for Jongdae if the circle was bigger, and he had more room instead of having to compress large amounts of energy into their small circle, but he made it work. Slowly, bit by bit he moved forwards, stacking up more while keeping his foundation in check. No one rushed him, and when Minseok lifted a palm, Jongdae stopped immediately, preparing to hold what he had just created. Zitao took his own time feeling around the construction, memorizing exactly what it was supposed to look like, metaphorically speaking. Luhan had to shift part of it a little to fit the strange requirements of the seal, but that, too, worked without a hitch. Minseok coated everything in ice - a process he would not have been capable of, a few weeks ago, and then the actual carving began.

It took hours.

Zitao had expected it to take long, but it just wouldn't seem to end.

It didn't feel like time stood still - Zitao could feel it ticking by, steadily, almost threateningly, while Jongdae looked increasingly strained, his skin looking clammy. Minseok still looked perfectly focused, but there were times when he paused carving, obviously trying to remember how to continue. When he touched the inner circles, Zitao was prepared, but nothing could have prepared them for the way the seal tugged at their foundation, ripping at Jongdae, and the ice cracked loudly. Luhan hurried to Jongdae's aid while Zitao smoothed out the ice, gently returning it to its previous state, only erasing half a rune in the process. Minseok attentively replaced it, and after a few seconds of making sure they were stable, he continued, tearing a small gasp out of Jongdae. Whatever it was, it was painful, and Zitao was itching to use his abilities on him, but he mustn't. He couldn't look inside Jongdae, and Luhan was their leader, so he had to place faith in him. He had to stay put and keep an eye on the ice, because Luhan wouldn't be able to repair that. He also wouldn't be able to soothe Jongdae's pain, but he could at least help him hold everything together.

The inner circles took even longer, dragging on and on as Minseok slowed down to accommodate to Jongdae. Afterwards, everything felt strange and uncomfortable, like the energy had been pressed into an oddly shaped corset, and if it was estranging to Zitao, he didn't want to know what it must feel like to Jongdae. But it went back to passively holding and enduring, the part that most of their seals had shared, and that they were good at. It wasn't easy, but they'd had enough fiascos and near-fiascos in the past to see the signs and interpret them correctly.

Minseok was drawing the runes a little faster now, clearly eager to get to the end, and as usual, the last rune lay in the very center of the circle. It was another tiny circle, and the moment he finished it, something seemed to burst, spreading like light, looking like powder, feeling like water, and Zitao couldn't breathe for a second. There were a few flower petals flying through the air, moving as if gravity did not affect them, swirling around like they were all caught in a tiny snow globe, and before everything could tilt on them, Zitao mentally reached out to steady Jongdae, and then Minseok, too. He had been steadying the runes throughout the long process, bit by bit, so now it all hinged on Luhan, who looked incredibly overwhelmed. For a moment, Zitao thought they were done for. Then Minseok subtly gestured for him to help Luhan instead, something Zitao had never had to do. He had worked with him, but never aimed _at_ him. Instead of approaching Luhan directly, he tried to slow down the mess around him, stop whatever the seal had been doing and what was currently distracting Luhan so much. It was enough for him to slowly lift the milky white, round stone that had been sitting before him. When he pressed it to the seal, his expression scrunched up and he looked strained, like he was struggling, but ultimately, the seal gave way as he slowly compressed it until it fit inside the stone. Instead of the usual, colored smoke, the stone turned crystal clear, with a few stray, white petals caught inside.

They knew it was done when Jongdae started heaving for air, slumping down. Zitao was by his side in an instant, rubbing his shoulders and arms. He clearly felt different from usual, and Zitao wasn't sure where to use his abilities to help. He could stop things or go back in time. Going forth to a potentially healed state was risky and not something he liked to do on human bodies. He decided to wave Minseok over, who took his place without hesitation and ran his fingers up and down the side of Jongdae’s face and neck, slipping inside his shirt a little, before he unceremoniously began to kiss him, completely oblivious to the fact that the judge was still observing them. Zitao slightly covered them, feeling a little nervous and self-conscious, and Luhan took the chance to kneel in front of the judge, offering the stone.

Minseok and Jongdae had already ceased what must have looked like a display of affection to the judge, and Jongdae looked much better already.

Even Luhan seemed to have run out of clever things to say, but Yixing only waited until they were all seated in front of him so he had their full attention. He didn't look the least bit tired.

"Wonderful," he began with a blinding smile, and it lit a flame of hope in Zitao that was entirely too bright to be trusted.

Yixing turned the stone a little in his hands, only to carefully place it back on the ground.

"This seal is functional and executed near perfectly - certainly good enough to fulfill its purpose."

They all just exchanged a quick look, but Yixing wasn't done yet.

"Now your teamwork is really interesting indeed, and it could need some work still."

Zitao couldn't help tensing up a little. He thought they'd have done a good job in that department.

"There is still somewhat of a disconnect between your time turner and the telekinesis user, though you saved yourselves on that front, if only barely so," Yixing began calmly, and Zitao didn't have time to be embarrassed, because the list went on.

"The gap between your power source and the ice mage is still wide, giving you all unnecessary trouble in trying to make up for it, and while I will salute you for learning the seal by heart, the outer circle turned out a little sloppy, and taking a look at the pattern throughout the process might have helped - there is no shame in that."

Minseok bit his lip and lowered his gaze. Zitao had never heard anyone criticize Minseok, and he really was starting to feel insecure now.

"There was an obvious slip up, and while you managed to salvage it in a satisfying way, slip ups should of course not happen at all, because they're an obvious safety hazard, especially considering the level of power you are working with. Speaking of which," Yixing continued, looking at Jongdae in particular now, "your strength is large, and of a wild nature at that, so you need to keep working on yourself if you want to keep it controlled in the future, too. Overall..." he concluded, lifting his voice a little, "your balance is quite weak and brittle still. You need to work on that. But I can see your potential. The way your ice mage steadied the power source, for example, was very clever. You could really grow into a strong team, I'm sure of that."

They all exchanged unsure looks, and then Luhan spoke up.

"So... does that mean we passed, or...?"

Yixing blinked.

"Hm? The seal is working, isn't it? So of course you passed."

They shared a collective sigh, and Zitao wanted to both slap and kiss their blasé-looking judge.

"There's things you need to work on but technically, you passed your trial," Yixing said with his gentle smile never faltering.

"Do we have to be moved though? To another town or something?" Zitao asked, because the possibility of them messing up and hurting people was still prevalent, after all. Yixing made a vague gesture that looked like a mix of a shrug and a shake of his head.

"You can request being moved, but you can also stay here. The seal will jump into action if any of you slips up too hard, so I don't see any issues there."

"It's for us," Minseok stated rather than asked. "The seal is meant for us."

"Well, of course it is," Yixing easily agreed. "You made it in your free time, after all, didn't you? No one paid you for it, so it's yours."

"What does it do?" Jongdae asked warily, and Minseok was quick to answer.

"I told you it works inwards, didn't I? In this case, it means that if a sudden explosion would happen, for example, the seal would consume the energy before anyone got hurt. Triggering it takes a high amount of energy, which, in our case means that if we lose control, the seal will be activated."

Yixing seemed delighted over the quick and precise answer.

"That's correct. It will likely break though, so let's hope that won't happen, or else you will have to construct a second one - and in your current condition, I wouldn't attempt that without supervision."

They all nodded dutifully, and Yixing stood up first, stretching his limbs a little.

"Well then. I thank you for the interesting experience. Pleasure to work with you, would love to see you again in the future. If you would now excuse me, I really need to go to the bathroom now - this was a long procedure and all."

They all looked after him, sharing incredulous looks, but wisely shutting up. Zhang Yixing was a really strange man, Zitao thought.

"What a... persona," Luhan said quietly when he was sure Yixing was out of hearing range.

"I wanna work for him," Minseok mumbled, sounding a little awe-struck, and Jongdae snorted.

"Are you crushing on him?"

Minseok only shook his head, shooting him a slightly exasperated look.

"I'm more than covered on that front already, thank you very much. But he was so..."

"Aloof?" Luhan guessed.

"Weird?" Zitao tried.

"No, you jealous little kids," Minseok countered, slapping at the nearest person, which turned out to be Luhan. Zitao snickered.

"He _knows_ stuff. Don't you think that instead of our tiny protective charms, we could also be doing much more of this advanced stuff?"

"Easy there, grade a student," Jongdae said, throwing an arm over Minseok's shoulders, which made him flinch. The spell was broken immediately, and Jongdae drew away, looking like he himself had burnt himself. Before he could get far, Minseok slung an arm around his waist to keep him close.

"Sorry. I was just surprised. It's really... a huge gap between us two still," he admitted, looking more bothered about his academic career than anything else. "Guess we do have to steady our balance some more before we can think of tackling bigger tasks."

Jongdae whined about how that was easy for him to say, when he was not the one being sucked dry, but Zitao knew that Jongdae, too, was itching to challenge himself. With how competitive he and Luhan were, as well, they might be in for a wild ride in the future.

Something caught his attention from the corner of his vision and he turned to see Luhan offering his hand. Instead of taking it, he shot him a suspicious look.

"What is it?" he asked, and Luhan tilted his head a little - a habit he must have caught from Minseok - and smiled brightly, though it definitely had a mischievous edge to it.

"Come on, don't tell me you're not the least bit curious what it would feel like."

Upon realizing what he meant, Zitao snorted, crossing his arms.

"I'm not."

"Sure you're not," Luhan teased him, but didn't move his offered hand. For a few long, painfully long seconds, Zitao stared at his hands, fighting an inner battle.

A lost battle, clearly.

With an exasperated groan, Zitao gave in.

"Fine," he dragged out, grabbing Luhan's hand without much preamble. "We gotta work together, anyway, so- _oh_."

Luhan still looked annoyingly smug as Zitao got hit with a very distinct, smooth feeling that was hard to describe, but felt rather personal. He had felt him, too, the night before, but it was very different when he wasn't part of a colorful painting but standing on his own.

And because his grin really was annoying, Zitao used his own abilities to freeze the ever-present, invasive cloud that was Luhan’s ability to sense everything around him, just to be a little mean. He hadn't expected Luhan to gasp, and much less for him to look so _interested_.

"That... is new," Luhan breathed out, his eyes twinkling as he leaned in to whisper into his ear.

"I bet _you_ could rough me up really well."

Zitao felt his cheeks heating up, and he was both embarrassed, slightly turned on by the idea, and also surprised Luhan would allow that.

Their relationship was still full of interesting aspects he had yet to discover, it seemed.

 

 

* * *

 

Yixing wouldn't have thought that he'd be seeing the tiny town close to the Southern border again so soon. Yet here he was, with his partner Yifan in tow, to act as a second judge. Teasing Yifan was always fun, and the last time he had been to this town had been quite interesting, so Yixing didn't mind at all. The procedure would be long, though, so he was forced to arrive a day early, to recover from his travels, but again, that meant more time to tease his partner. It wouldn't be too long until he gave in, and maybe seeing the very strange quartet of mages would… inspire him.

Their balance turned out to be impeccable, and Yixing was strict in that department. It was clear that they had grown together, in every sense of the word. The young man acting as their power source was incredibly strong, and yet Yixing would have expected him to be even stronger by now. It seemed like they had all met each other on a similar level though, which presumably hindered the growing process a little, but assured balance. A wise decision.

They also noticed each other’s struggles before they could show in their work, and were quick and coordinated in assisting each other. It was, quite frankly, a joy to watch, and so was the way they lit up when Yifan and him announced them passing the test.

In fact, Yixing toyed with the selfish thought of requesting they become part of _his_ team instead of handing them over to the capital to decide.

 _Though to be fair_ , he thought, wearing a small, proud smile as he watched the way they hugged each other, _with people of their level, it was probably them who would be making the decisions_. _Together_.

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> was this entire story a ploy to promote judge!Yixing? maybe. maybe it was.  
> (I'm kidding)  
> if you reached this point, thank you very much for your attention, and thanks for giving this fic and our precious chinaline a chance <3


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